


when summer's gone

by jyaniheon



Category: VIXX
Genre: Awkward Crush, Beaches, Fluff, Fluff without Plot, Friendship, Getting to Know Each Other, Love Confessions, M/M, Platonic Neo (but can be seen romantically if you want), Summer
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:13:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23697541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jyaniheon/pseuds/jyaniheon
Summary: Six people who happens to be in the same place at the same time.He's been gathering the courage to confess.He's been gathering the courage to talk.He just wants to spend another fun day with his friend.He just wants to spend another less tiring day with his friend.He simply hopes for an opportunity.He simply hopes for appreciation.The end of summer marks the beginning of something else.
Relationships: Han Sanghyuk | Hyuk/Lee Hongbin, Kim Wonshik | Ravi/Lee Jaehwan | Ken
Comments: 1
Kudos: 6





	1. no way something so sweet

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This story was actually inspired by VIXX's stage outfits for G.R.8.U (You can check the link at the beginning of the fic!). I started writing this in 2013, leaving just the few last ending scenes unwritten until... this year. 2020. Yep.
> 
> Re-reading it, I was thinking about revamping the whole fic because my writing style has changed a lot, but after second thought I guess some pointless fluff isn't that bad. This is originally meant to be a one-shot but I've decided to divide into several parts because it's quite long. I hope you enjoy the story!

([g.r.8.u](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wae1yWtWYiE))

*

Deep, calm breaths. Deep, calm breaths. Deep, calm br--  
  
"Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"  
  
_Damnit._  
  
Wonshik reluctantly opens his eyes, instantly regretting it as he does so when he catches the breathtaking sight before him. Jaehwan is laughing merrily as he skids along the sand, his dark auburn hair lightly swaying from the sea breeze, the wide grin etched on his ever so bright face while he makes endless 'waa's and 'ooh's and other nonsensical awed noises as the warm sand drowns his feet. Wonshik feels his heart skip a beat when Jaehwan turns to grin at him but all the overwhelming affection vanishes as the older boy's face morphs into a comically awestruck expression. Wonshik bursts out laughing almost immediately.  
  
"What, what, why?" Jaehwan splutters, clearly offended. Wonshik doesn't even bother to hide the amused cackles that double at how the older boy's face contorts in confusion. Jaehwan smacks his friend and puts a hand on his hips, before using his frequently used ahjumma voice.  
  
"Oh is that how your mother taught you, young man?" He said, imitating the canteen ahjumma they both know too well. Wonshik wipes the tears by the edge of his eyes that formed from laughing too much and when he sees Jaehwan gazing at him with a satisfied look, the younger boy coughs and regains his cool.  
  
Wonshik clears his throat as he looks away. "Why can't you be normal for once, Hyung." He remarks, earning a playful glare from the other. Jaehwan tsks and turns away, the striped sweater loosely tied around his neck swinging as he does.  
  
"You know you love me for not being normal." He grins cheekily before jogging down the slope to get closer to the sea, unaware of what he has caused to his companion who suddenly halts in his steps.  
  
Wonshik's cheeks burn from the innocent words his hyung has said. If only he knew how true that sentence was. If only he knew how much he loves the older boy for being weird, and hilarious, and everything normal and not normal that he is.  
  
Wonshik slaps his own face to remind himself of his main goal of dragging Jaehwan to the beach today. He is going to finally confess, tell the older boy his rehearsed speech about the burst of emotions he feels for him.  
  
Wonshik takes another deep breath to calm himself down. He's spent a lot of thoughts and time for this moment and he isn't going to let his efforts go to waste.  
  
He will confess.  
  
"Hyung, wait~!"

  
*

  
  
Sanghyuk glances at the watch on his wrist before letting a sigh. There are still two hours till school's out yet here he is, at the beach, ditching the boring teachers and the abundant assignments. At least his friends are loyal.  
  
(Although he has a bad feeling Sungjae is going to ask for an impossible favor one day in return. That cunning bastard.)  
  
Sanghyuk fixes the strap of his backpack, thinking about his tainted perfect attendance and the amount of scolding he will receive soon. His parents are so going to ground him. His noona will also nag at him nonstop. His homeroom teacher will lecture him about how much he has disappointed her and the school and then guilt trip him all the way.  
  
Even with all those risks, Sanghyuk still doesn't regret his decision. He plops down on a bench not too far from a diner by the beach, his eyes scanning through the people walking and passing by the streets, searching and seeking for that one person somewhat responsible for his insolent behavior. That person should arrive in approximately an hour.  
  
Sanghyuk leans against the backrest, his gaze finding two young men getting their ways towards the lower land of the beach, one of them making exclamations nonstop while the other seems to take amusement from his companion's expressions. Sanghyuk tears his gaze away and takes another look at his watch. Still 59 minutes to go.  
  
He will wait.  
  
"Please come today…"  


  
*  


  
Jaehwan hums a happy tune to himself as he plays with the sand between his toes. He lightly kicks the tiny crystals away, allowing some of them to float and get carried away by the breeze while some rejoins the ground. The sand is cold on his skin as he digs his feet deeper but the blazing sunlight has the rest of foot and leg completely warm. Jaehwan giggles to himself at the contradicting situation.  
  
"Beaches are fun." Jaehwan remarks gleefully as he playfully kicks the sand nimbly. Wonshik chuckles, before following the older boy to fiddle with the sand. He squats down and absentmindedly collects the sand, turning them into a dome, later Jaehwan joins him and together they make a big wide dome of sand.  
  
"The shape's not cute." The older boy says, wrinkling his nose in disapproval. He mourns over the fact they don't have any buckets or pail to shape the sand into a building that he will like more and unwillingly has to settle with adding shells and dead sea creatures lying on the beach as decoration. Jaehwan misses how Wonshik’s staring linger a bit too long at him or how Wonshik mumbles quietly, "But _you_ are cute enough..."  
  
One of the shells on their sand dome begins to move and Wonshik uncharacteristically shrieks, startling the older boy out of his wits. "The hell, Shik-ah?" Jaehwan blurts out, eyeing his friend in confusion. Wonshik has a palm covering his mouth and face, probably due to embarrassment of having screamed like a little girl, before he points at the quickly moving shell that is already finding its way halfway from the ground.  
  
Jaehwan casually picks the shell up and it turns out to be a tiny hermit, its puny legs protruding out of its shell as it struggles to escape. "Aww, look at this adorable thing." He coos, later extending his arm to offer it to Wonshik. The latter swiftly backs away.  
  
A sly chuckle escapes Jaehwan's lips as he crawls towards the younger boy. "Are you scared, Wonshik-ah?" He says tauntingly, the hermit still held between his thumb and index finger. Wonshik puts on a tough front but backs away in contrary. Jaehwan smirks before shoving the tiny sea creature right at Wonshik's face.  
  
"Scared that little Mr. Hermit is going to bite your head off?!"  
  
"AHHHHH!"  
  
Jaehwan laughs out loud, heartily, totally content from his little teasing game. Wonshik glares as he stands up and punches the elder, muttering something like "Stop it Hyung, I hate those stuff." before turning to head the opposite way.  
  
The older boy chuckles as he slings an arm around his best friend, the hermit is long gone after Jaehwan has gently placed it back on the sandy ground. "Shik-ah, sorryy! We came to the beach for fun! So, let me have my fun, yeah?" He utters.  
  
He sees Wonshik hesitate before the younger boy suddenly pushes him away roughly, sending him tumbling into the short drift of seawater, ultimately drenching his bottom and light blue shorts. Wonshik looks startled by the result of his own work but later finds himself cackling in satisfaction. Jaehwan narrows his eyes. "YAH!" He yells as he stands up, catching Wonshik's troubled look ("Uh-oh.") before the younger boy runs away and Jaehwan quickly catches up to him.  
  
He will get his revenge.  
  
"You messed with the wrong ahjumma, young man!"

  
  
*  


  
Taekwoon glowers for the nth time that day, obviously dissatisfied by the line of work he was stuck with. There are less than a week left of his break and yet here he is inside the kitchen of a goddamn outdoor diner at a beach, fixing drinks and cooking light meals for people who clearly make use of their break better than he does.  
  
The pay better be worth it. He's worked his ass off for the past month.  
  
The person who is the main culprit behind his misery saunters gaily towards him, an empty tray on his palm which he later sets down on the counter. He beams at Taekwoon and the latter glares in response, sending silent messages of profanities and curses with his eyes. Hakyeon's smile falters and he forcefully tugs on Taekwoon's cheeks to make his lips curve upwards and resemble a smile.  
  
"Stop with that frown and laser eyes, Taekwoonie, you're scaring our potential customers away." His voice is sweet and gentle as if he's speaking to a toddler but his actions are showing the complete opposite emotions to the annoyingly bright smile on his face. Taekwoon winces and slaps the other's hands away, his gaze throwing daggers at his so-called best friend.  
  
"We only have _one_ customer." The younger boy spats, his index finger pointing towards the couple seated on one of their benches. "But a _mountain_ of dishes." He hisses, enraged that yet again he has to work late thanks to his friend who refuses to give a hand in doing the dishes.  
  
Hakyeon rolls his eyes. "Geez, it's not a _mountain_. It's less than what you have to do yesterday, stop whining." He flips his red bangs sassily and Taekwoon sighs, exasperated. He should have known better than to talk back to the older boy. It is simply no use.  
  
"And I said _potential_ customers, Taekwoon. Can't you see that high school kid over there?" Hakyeon motions towards a boy sitting on a bench outside the bistro, his face looks anxious as he checks his wristwatch repetitively. "He's waiting for someone. Probably his hot date." He says, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively, causing his friend to snort.  
  
"It's still school hours." Taekwoon points out, but Hakyeon laughs at him before facing him with a wicked smile.  
  
"Teens in love could care less about that, Taekwoonie." He utters. "And when that kid finds his date, I don't want your bitch face scaring them off, understood?" He gives Taekwoon a couple of fierce pats on the cheek as he smiles threateningly at him. The latter growls, infuriated, but Hakyeon takes that as a sign good enough that his employee will work well.  
  
Taekwoon grumbles as he watches Hakyeon strolls away, probably to flatter some people to get them to visit his uncle's bistro. The older boy has been abusing his position as his best friend and boss to get Taekwoon to do what he wants and it's pushing Taekwoon off the edge.  
  
He will kill Hakyeon one day.  
  
" _After_ I get my pay."

  
  
*

  
  
Wonshik is glad he's physically more fit than Jaehwan, otherwise he'd probably be drenched in seawater by now. The older boy has surrendered in their small wild goose chase and decides to call it even. Wonshik almost believes him until he tossed a dead hermit to his face. Jaehwan will never let him forget the horrified look on his face and the unexpectedly girly scream he let out.  
  
As embarrassing as it is, Wonshik will not deny how much he's enjoying the older boy's attention.  
  
"Sunday morning, rain is falling…"  
  
There is a tug to his heart as Jaehwan's beautiful, melodious voice enters his ears. Wonshik's breath is caught as the owner of the lovely voice turns to him, his face sincere and serious while he sings, as if Wonshik is the audience he's trying to captivate. Jaehwan looks away and sings with all his heart as he strolls along the beachline, and Wonshik knows nothing can take his breath away like an Lee Jaehwan singing earnestly.  
  
This is the moment.  
  
He _has_ to tell him.  
  
Wonshik reaches out for Jaehwan, resolute. "Hyung, I--"  
  
"Waaa! This looks good!"  
  
Wonshik's determination shatters when he notices Jaehwan staring at a menu book, 'ooh' and 'aah'ing at the images of nicely presented drinks and meals that surely gets you craving for them. He realizes they are in front of a diner, a very simple one with a viewable kitchen and a few tables under the canopy for the customers. He glances at the pictures of the food the shop offers and Wonshik tries not to remember how he misses breakfast this morning because he feels too nauseous about his confession to actually eat anything.  
  
"If you think the pictures look good, wait until you see and taste the real deal! Come, my friend!" A red-haired male tells them as he gently tugs Jaehwan to the seats. The older boy follows happily, and Wonshik finds himself having no other option than to tag along.  
  
He still has a confession to do. Maybe if they sit down and talk he'll have a better chance to do it.  
  
"Here's the menu." The redhead says as he places the books on the table. "If you find anything you like, just call out for _N_ , okay." He ends with a wink which is directed at both Jaehwan and Wonshik, but instead of hospitality, it only makes the latter feel weirded out and doubtful of the waiter (whose name was 'N'? What kind of name is that?).  
  
Wonshik steals a glance at Jaehwan who seems to be eagerly going through the menu. Sighing, he decides to get himself something decent to eat as well. "You're paying right, Hyung?" He says, teasing.  
  
Jaehwan gives him a scandalized look and a small pout. "Waeeee?" He whines childishly. Wonshik attempts to stop himself from blurting out how cute he thinks the older boy is.  
  
"You're older." He says instead.  
  
"You brought me here." Jaehwan retorts back, unrelenting.  
  
"You're a bad hyung. Forcing your dongsaeng to pay for your meals? Unbelievable." Wonshik utters with mock disappointment as he shakes his head. Jaehwan huffs and decides to play along.  
  
"Oh is this how it's going to be?" The older boy says, faking mad as he slams the menu book on the table as he stands up, his fists pumped in the air, as if he's ready to fight. "Come on! You and me, one on one, outside. Or inside, it doesn't matter." Wonshik bursts out laughing as he watches Jaehwan lightly bouncing on his feet, playfully gesturing to the younger boy to challenge a fight. The older boy chuckles at his reaction.  
  
"I surrender." Wonshik states jokingly, his hands raised. Jaehwan gives him a playful glare as he sits back down.  
  
"You better." The older boy good-humoredly threatens as he goes through the menu book once again. Wonshik finds himself staring at him, deeming it more interesting to watch his hyung than to look at images of prettied up meals and beverages. Jaehwan remains unaware of his blatant staring.  
  
"Have you decided?" The older boy suddenly asks, his eyes locking with the other's, catching the boy off guard. Wonshik just nods dumbly and mumbles some incoherent words as he randomly points at one drink, his cheeks heating up from embarrassment as he avoids Jaehwan's gaze.  
  
_God_ , he has such horrible self-control when it comes to Jaehwan.

Oblivious, Jaehwan simply grins. "Great!" He exclaims. "N-sshi!" He waves to the waiter who is leaning against the counter, a pale boy with an irked face quietly wiping glasses near him. The red-haired male beams and daintily walks towards the two customers, a kind smile gracing his lips while a notebook and a pencil are ready in his hands.  
  
"Ready to order?" N asks and Jaehwan nods before excitedly pointing out the drinks and food he wants to eat. Wonshik announces his order as well, and N jots it down on his notebook skillfully.  
  
"Your orders will be ready in a bit!" N tells them before scurrying off to get their orders done soon. Wonshik, for the first time, actually reads the numbers and letters on the menu book, mentally calculating in his head for how much their meals will cost and how much money he has left in his wallet.  
  
"This place is nice, don't you think?" Jaehwan utters, snapping him out of the failing math he is doing in his head. Wonshik merely hums in agreement, his eyes following the older boy's gaze that is wandering around the open bistro.  
  
"Yea, let's hope the food's nice too." The younger boy comments, leaning back on his chair comfortably. Jaehwan shoots him a look, disapproving of his pessimistic attitude.  
  
"Well I know _someone_ who's not being nice right now." The older boy mocks as he crosses his arms and leans back as well. He doesn't notice that one of the chair's leg slips from the neatly placed rock below it and misses its footing. Jaehwan yelps and flails around as he tries to maintain balance but ends up failing and falling flat on his back alongside the chair.  
  
N's voice rings out throughout the diner. "Taekwoon!! I thought you said you've changed the chairs!!!!"

  
*

  
Sanghyuk turns his head towards the open bistro, a loud yell has distracted him from his thoughts and now he sees a small commotion inside the diner. There is one guy bowing down repetitively, looking like he's apologizing to the two other men who seem flustered but not showing any signs of anger. One man is helping the other to stand up and the one being aided waves his hand off, seemingly not minding whatever problem that happened.  
  
Probably some case of unhygienic food. Or the guy found a walking hermit in his food.  
  
Either way, Sanghyuk _definitely_ isn't going to visit the place.  
  
He glances at his watch for the umpteenth time and sighs knowing there is still five minutes left. Doesn't he usually come earlier than expected? What if he doesn't come? Maybe he shouldn't keep waiting. Maybe he should give up.  
  
Sanghyuk shakes the negative thoughts away; there is still time, he shouldn't make conclusions so soon. He risks a lot of things doing this, and there is no way he's going back empty-handed.  
  
Sanghyuk stares at the somewhat empty streets, his heart hoping to see that one person to show up immediately, but his hopes are crumbled when yet again he fails to spot that familiar brunette.

  
*

  
Hakyeon scrambles as he leads his two customers towards the other side of the bistro where the chairs are considerably more stable with no rocks holding them up for leverage. "Oh dear, I forgot to double check this morning before opening hours. I've told my employee to change the seats but I think it must have slipped off his mind while we were preparing." He rambles, momentarily pausing to send a glare at the now empty counter, more specifically at who was there before. He quickly pulls one chair for the guest to sit on. "I deeply apologize." He bows, but the auburn-haired customer gently pulls him upwards and smiles.  
  
"It's okay, chill! It's not like I got seriously injured or anything." He says, bright, and Hakyeon decides this boy will be his favorite customer of the week. "Besides, I've been wanting to try getting sand in my hair and see if they give me that _sandy_ blonde hair I've always wanted." He grins, briefly fixing his bangs as he glances at the mirror by the counter and makes a ridiculous face.  
  
Hakyeon breaks into roars of laughter, the guffaws coming out uncontrollably that he starts clutching his stomach from the pain of laughing too much. The customer with a cap is hiding his own chuckles behind his palm, while the main person causing them hysterics merely smiles, glad that he manages to lighten up the atmosphere.  
  
Hakyeon wipes the tears forming by the edge of his eyes. It's been a while since he's laughed so much before. "You're funny," He notes as he places his hand on the boy's shoulder. "I like you. I'll make sure your food gets done as soon as possible!" He tells them before rushing back into the kitchen to find that one person responsible for humiliating him; the previous anger slowly returning although not bubbling up as much as it was. That boy's joke really brought his mood up.  
  
He'll certainly make sure to befriend him when he gets the chance.  
  
Shifting back to his main goal, he looks around to get a hold of his one and only employee. The whirring sound of the blender catches his attention and he later finds Taekwoon at the back, pouring the fruit mix into a tall, pretty glass. The boy doesn't even bother to acknowledge him.  
  
"Yah, Jung Taekwoon." Hakyeon starts, his tone bitter. His uncle has always told him to treat customers like friends you invite to your house; they're not necessarily 'king', but you definitely have to treat them well so they'd want to come over often. And today Taekwoon has embarrassed him in front of his _friends_.  
  
The younger boy makes a small uninterested hum, still occupied with adding decorations on the glass and wiping the excess of juice dripping out of the edges. Hakyeon growls and harshly smacks him at the back of his head.  
  
"The fuc--"  
  
"I'm talking to _you_ , Jung Taekwoon, so listen or I won't pay you a single penny for all that sweat you wasted here." He threatens, his eyes narrowing murderously while his hands are on his hips. Taekwoon immediately goes silent; he stops handling the customer's orders and faces his friend with an irritated face. Hakyeon neck-chops him, causing him to wince.  
  
"Don't give me that look. _I'm_ supposed to be the mad one here." He says, huffing in annoyance. Taekwoon exhales deeply, his patience running thin, but Hakyeon knows that annoying his best friend is the easiest way to make him crack and lose the attitude. He succeeds.  
  
A look of guilt briefly takes over Taekwoon's features. "Look, I'm sorry I forgot. But let me make it up by getting this done quick." He says, returning to the drinks and giving them finishing touches, before placing them on the tray. He hands them over to Hakyeon. "Here."  
  
Hakyeon resists the urge to smile, but fails upon seeing the defeated look on Taekwoon's face and the new look on the menu he's used to seeing every day. "Aww, you added the cute heart-shaped pineapples on them." He coos. The younger boy swiftly looks elsewhere and ignores him, promptly going to the oven that just made a 'ding' sound.  
  
Hakyeon smiles, pleased, as he watches Taekwoon mask his embarrassed face while handling the order. Satisfied, he makes his way to the front where his customers are waiting. Hakyeon nearly shouts out an excited 'hey' but then notices how his two guests are on their feet, the boy with the cap is currently brushing sand off his companion's hair and clothes, a fond smile coming unnoticed when the latter chooses to fix his hat in return.  
  
_Hmmmm_. Apparently the high school kid isn't the only one on a date today.

*


	2. can be bad for me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally Hongbin makes an appearance! This fic will be updated bi-weekly from now on, I hope you enjoy!

Sanghyuk idly kicks the sand below his feet, his hands gripping onto his backpack straps as he desperately holds the urge to check his watch again. His bag is only heavy from all the textbooks stuffed inside. He's skipping school, what the hell was he thinking bringing all these textbooks when he could have left them all in his locker?

Yeah, well. He probably wasn't anyway. His mind has been such a wreck, just thinking of seeing _his_ dimpled smile.

Sanghyuk steals another glance at the still empty streets, wondering if the person he is waiting for will ever come. Tired, the boy stands up and stretches, his uniform shirt lifting up to reveal a dash of skin, probably from being too small already for him after three years of wearing it to school almost every day. That, and Sanghyuk's growth hormones have been working exceptionally well.

Instinctively, he glances at his watch once again. He cannot hide the disappointment when he sees the long finger inching towards number four. Sanghyuk sighs, close to accepting the fact that maybe he won't come. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow either. Maybe he's stopped coming. He probably has better things to do anyway...

Sanghyuk gazes at the sea, watching the waves unfurl as they come closer to the beach. His lips slowly curl into a smile, a memory replaying in his head about their first encounter. Sanghyuk closes his eyes and drowns himself in reminiscence.

_"Hello. Can I take a picture of you?"_

*

"Enjoy your meal, Jaehwan-sshi."

The said boy's eyes twinkle at the delicious looking clam chowder delivered in front of him. Jaehwan grins at his new-found friend, already loving the food from how it is nicely presented, exactly like how it looks in the menu book. Hakyeon—as he knows now after their lively introduction—chuckles, happy to see such reaction from his customer.

"Thanks, Hakyeon-sshi—"

"— _hyung_. Please." The waiter slash diner co-owner insists. Jaehwan nods.

"Hakyeon-hyung, thanks. I'll eat well." He says before tearing a bit of the garlic bread and dipping it into the soup, then eating it. Jaehwan makes an exaggerated surprised expression before giving two thumbs up to the older boy. "This is really good." He compliments, earning a satisfied sigh from the latter.

Wonshik has been watching their exchange with a rather displeased face. He continues drinking up his fruit mix until it's no more, creating bothering sucking noises as his straw hits the bottom of the empty glass. Hakyeon hisses.

"Did your mother not teach you how that's impolite?" He gripes, lightly giving him a neck-chop. Wonshik groans in pain. "You can always order another glass, Wonshik-sshi. It'll be on the house."

The boy glowers and shakes his head. "No, thank you." He says, restraining his aggravation. "I'm _fine_."

Hakyeon makes a sour face at him. "Don't say I didn't offer you." He turns back to Jaehwan who is happily lapping the soup into his mouth. "Enjoy, Jaehwan." He gives the boy a couple of pats on his shoulder before stalking off, back to his position behind the counter.

Jaehwan lets out a content moan at the heavenly taste of the clam chowder. He's eaten the soup a couple of times, but this—this is more than just incredibly delicious. Jaehwan is no expert in cooking, but even he can tell that the chef has astonishing skills in estimating the amount of ingredients so they all blend perfectly and wonderfully and just— _right_. Jaehwan is so caught up with his meal that he fails to notice the obvious frown and discomfort on his friend's face.

"I don't like him."

Jaehwan perks up, blinking a couple of times dumbly before the realization dawns to him. "Who? Hakyeon-hyung?"

Wonshik nods. "So naggy. He reminds me of those cranky canteen ahjummas."

The older boy pauses to gaze at his friend tauntingly. "Oh? So you're saying he'll match up to me?"

A laugh automatically erupts from Wonshik. As if he hasn't laughed enough today. "That'll be one interesting fight to watch." He starts chuckling to himself at the mental image of Jaehwan and Hakyeon nagging at each other like a couple of pressed ahjummas. Jaehwan shakes his head, wondering why he has such a weird boy as a friend.

(He really isn't in the position to say that. But Jaehwan can care less as long as he isn't the only weird person around.)

Time passes, and Jaehwan is three quarters into finishing his soup, the way the creamy substance melt in his mouth drives him crazy. He takes one big spoonful and is about to put it in his mouth when he notices how Wonshik is staring at him, his chin resting on one palm with a subtle hint of affection in his eyes as he smiles that small smile where the ends of his lips only curve the slightest upwards but reflects his most sincere emotions.

(Jaehwan is completely unaware that Wonshik has been doing that for the past fifteen minutes.)

The older boy sets his spoon down and re-takes a spoonful of the soup, before offering it to his friend. "You want some?" He holds the spoon's handle in Wonshik's direction, assuming the younger boy will take it.

Wonshik seems a bit startled; he glances at the spoon then back to Jaehwan, the older boy is gesturing for him to take it. What he ends up doing, however, is something Jaehwan should have thought is odd and it should have been one of the many signs upon what awaits him soon.

Wonshik gently holds Jaehwan's hand, later guiding their connected hands to bring the spoon to his mouth. His gaze flicks back to Jaehwan as his lips lingers on the spoon for a while, and he sees that the older boy has an unreadable expression on his face. Wonshik lets Jaehwan's hand go, and he licks the remnants of soup by the edge of his lips, later nodding in approval of the taste. "It does taste really good." He begrudgingly admits. He studies Jaehwan's face, looking for anything that may show censure to his previous actions. The older boy realizes the unwavering gaze set upon him and he shifts uncomfortably as he stirs the soup idly.

"Told you." He retorts, a small triumphant smile adorning his lips. He isn't sure why Wonshik is gawking at him nonstop with that determined look on his face and he racks his brain to find a joke that can get rid of the awkwardness.

Wonshik, though, has other plans. Jaehwan is quite taken aback when the younger boy suddenly holds his hand, before leaning closer to him.

"Hyung, I li—"

He never gets to finish that sentence and Jaehwan soon forgets.

*

Hongbin bows politely to the ahjumma, thanking her for the hot dokkebi he just purchased. The boy immediately takes a bite, enjoying the savory taste of the sausage and french fries all in one. He hums to himself lightly as he strolls along the roadsides, the beach is still far away, but slowly coming into view.

It's become a habit for him to visit the beach every day after classes. Hongbin enjoys photography and enjoys taking pictures of things, creatures, sights, but most especially, people. A picture can say a thousand words, he's often heard, and likewise, he believes a picture can tell a thousand things about a person.

He looks at the clock on his phone, only now realizing how much hours have passed. He is running late than usual, thanks to the unexpected additional class from one lecturer that suddenly announces she cannot fill in for the upcoming week, thus decides to do it today. Hongbin isn't complaining though, her class isn't boring and he will not say no to free periods for next week.

If there is one thing he is rather disappointed with the overly spent time that day will be how there might not be many people at the beach by the time he arrives. The weather has gotten chillier these days and he has doubts that he'll get as many pictures as he used to. People might rather spend their time in their house or lounge in shops or cafes rather than going to the beach. His friends too, who usually will hang out with him in his impromptu photoshoots, have chosen to chill in a café by the campus instead. Even so, Hongbin likes the beach and the serenity it provides, and he's just hoping he'll find several people with the same thought as him.

Stuffing his phone back into his jacket pocket, Hongbin checks his bag. The camera is in its case, battery still fully-charged for he hasn't used it at all since he brought it to campus that morning. He zips his bag closed and munches on the last bits of his dokkebi, later discarding its stick into a nearby trash can.

With carefree steps, Hongbin heads to the coast.

*

Taekwoon has been pondering in front of the fridge for what feels like an eternity to him. He opens and closes it repetitively, staring at the couple of servings of crème brulee inside, contemplating on if he should do what he's been thinking of doing. In the end, Taekwoon reluctantly takes them out, later setting them down on the tray and adding just one more touch of decoration.

He has been keeping these for the rest of the holiday, Hakyeon's uncle loves cooking desserts and loves making these heavenly crème brulee and Taekwoon will not give them up for the world. But he has made a fool of himself in front of the customers, moreover, Hakyeon will forever keep a grudge and taunt him if he doesn't do something that'll be worth his forgiveness.

(It's not like the boy wouldn't stop taunting him if he does so, it's just that—Taekwoon hates living in guilt.)

Sighing, Taekwoon lifts the tray with ease and strolls towards their only two customers for the afternoon. He glances at Hakyeon who is on the phone, but the boy sees him, maybe just a glimpse, but at least he's aware of what Taekwoon is going to do. With a heavy heart (the servings of desserts are screaming to him to not to let anyone but him to eat them), Taekwoon sets the tray on their guests' table gently, later placing the two bowls of crème brulee in front of the customers. The one with an awfully pointy nose looks puzzled by the additional presence of something he is certain he didn't order, while the other customer has an equally baffled expression, however his seems more… scandalized or offended than surprised.

Do they not want this extra service? Because honestly, he'll be more than glad to return those lovely desserts and make sure they end in the happy place that is his stomach.

"Uh," Taekwoon hesitates, unsure of what to say. "It's on the house. An apology." He explains briefly. Taekwoon has always been a man with very few words although it's more about how words constantly fail him instead of how he is reluctant to make pointless conversations with people.

The boy-whose-nose-seems-a-little-too-big pokes the outer layer of the pudding with his spoon curiously, before taking a small sip into his mouth. His face lights up. "Oh wow. Oh my god, wow." He exclaims ecstatically, the wonderful taste of the crème brulee overwhelming his taste buds. His eyes glimmer in awe as he digs in happily.

Taekwoon almost lets out a sigh of relief before he notices the sour look and incensed glare from the other boy. "Isn't this too much as an apology?" He deadpans with an unhealthy amount of spite, and Taekwoon wonders if the stabbed feeling to his chest is what most people feel when he makes frank remarks about them.

There's a disapproving expression on the first boy and judging from the groan of pain that the blonde one suddenly makes, Taekwoon can guess that there are some kicking happening under the table. The brunette turns to Taekwoon, a half apologetic, half grateful smile on his lips. "Sorry. And thanks for this. But, to be honest, I don't think I deserve this much kindness. I mean, I only fell down and it's not like I got seriously injured or anything." He elaborates. "Just add this to the bill. We'll pay for it."

"Um." Taekwoon internally panics, his eyeballs shifts rapidly as his mind turns into a wreck from trying to make up a reason that won't backfire at him. The customer looks at him expectantly, waiting for whatever he is about to say. Taekwoon sputters, "No. It-it's a also a gift. Friendship gift... From—From Hakyeon."

"Oh!" The boy beams, before he glances towards the counter where Hakyeon is still on the phone. The diner co-owner looks like he's glaring at something or someone before he notices the eyes on him, his expression then swiftly changing into a kind one as he gave a small wave to the younger boy. "Thanks for the meal, Hyung!" He shouts, earning a tentative thumbs up from the elder. Taekwoon lets out a sigh of relief, grateful for his friend's cooperativeness. The customer turns back to Taekwoon with a smile. "Thanks to you too. I'm guessing you're the cook?" He motions to the short apron around Taekwoon's waist.

Taekwoon has only then noticed he had came out with his apron still on. Embarrassed, he timidly nods. The guest's smile brightens. "Your cooking tastes— _fantastic_."

The worker feels a light blush color his cheeks; honestly, he has always been weak to compliments. He mutters a low 'thank you' before quickly scurrying back to the kitchen. Taekwoon exhales deeply, greatly relieved that he's got his job done. He's apologized to the guests, made Hakyeon look like a super nice guy (which he is but isn't to Taekwoon most of the time), and even gained a compliment on his cooking. Taekwoon tries to rid the happy feeling that's swelling inside him from receiving the praise, he covers his face with one hand and bites his lips to prevent the wide smile he rarely shows to anyone from appearing too visible.

Gosh, it feels good to be appreciated for his work.

A harsh jab to his stomach ruins his happy mood, and Taekwoon's fierce glare returns as he sends it to none other than who is supposed to be his best friend.

"What were you thinking?!" Hakyeon whispers starkly, a frustrated look on his face as he gives multiple chops to Taekwoon's neck. The younger boy blocks him and eyes him in bewilderment.

"I _apologized_. I made you look _good_." He points out, appalled, feeling all the embarrassment he had to go through turning fruitless at the moment.

The older boy groans, exasperated. "You ruined the moment! Wonshik was about to confess to Jaehwan!"

"Confess….? What?"

"Gosh, Taekwoon, and you say I'm the dense one here." He drags the said boy towards the door and gestures to their guests. " _Look_ at them."

Taekwoon observes the two boys, the brunette has his back against them so he can't properly see his expression. While the boy with a cap— _Wonshik?_ —is moping, stabbing the crème brulee with extreme force, seemingly annoyed.

Ow, that's not how you treat the heavenly crème brulee!

But then the brunette abruptly pulls (and saves!) the abused pudding, probably scolding the other, and when his finger goes to flick his friend on the forehead, instead of irritation, he gets a smile, one looking a bit too restrained to hide the hints of fondness behind it. The Wonshik guy's attitude instantly changes and he begins to eat his pudding properly, once a while sending glances to his companion who doesn't seem to take notice of the loving looks sent at him.

 _Oh_.

"He likes him?" Taekwoon blurts out rather dumbly. The bitchface he gets is enough to tell him that his assumption is spot-on (and is somehow already an obvious fact to his friend).

"Wonshik was about to tell Jaehwan when you just--had to go and. Ruin. The. Whole. Thing!!!" Hakyeon yells in a low voice, careful so their guests won't hear him.

Taekwoon's eyebrows furrow. "And you know this, how?"

"It doesn't need a genius to tell how obvious Wonshik's feelings are. And how cowardly he seems." The older boy rolls his eyes and puts one hand on his hip, before pointing an accusing finger at Taekwoon's way. "But he was just holding Jaehwan's hands with this determined look until _you_ came!" His eyes are wide and full of frustration that Taekwoon honestly think he does _not_ deserve.

The younger of the two swats the finger away and gives a judgmental look. How does Hakyeon know all this and why is he so worked up on it? He barely knows the two guests yet he acts like he has had this all planned for days and Taekwoon has somehow messed up the whole scheme. He narrows his eyes at his friend, incredulous that Hakyeon takes his grand apology for granted due to two strangers' failure of blossoming love.

Hakyeon neck-chops him. "Don't look at me like that, we don't have TV here. I'm getting all the entertainment I can get." He says, huffing. "But I'm gonna give you credit for sacrificing your precious crème brulee. Apology accepted, Jung Taekwoon. For your first mistake. Not your second."

It's Taekwoon's turn to roll his eyes. He seriously cannot believe this supposedly best friend of his. He just gave away one (two, in fact!) of the most valuable things in his life, made the said best friend look like the nicest person in the world, and yet they all become futile because he fails to notice their guests' hidden affections. Unbelievable. _Never again_ , Taekwoon tells himself, as he silently mourns over the loss of the crème brulee.

"Seriously, Taekwoon, just because you didn't get any summer flings, it doesn't mean you can ruin someone else's."

Taekwoon's gaze bores holes into Hakyeon's back.

*

Wonshik tells himself to enjoy the dessert before him because no matter how much he doesn't want to admit it, it does taste beyond incredible. But his mood has turned rather foul since he was _soooo_ close to confessing until that waiter came to give them this free treat.

"Mmmhmm." Jaehwan's voice breaks his musing and he glances at the older boy who was thoroughly enjoying the crème brulee.

"Oh God, so good. So... _so good_."

 _This_ is another reason why he cannot completely enjoy the dessert.

Wonshik gulps as he looks away, red staining his already flushed cheeks while he desperately tries to control himself. Jaehwan has been making those supposedly sinful noises as he devours the crème brulee, moaning and sighing in satisfaction every time the soft substance makes contact with his tongue and taste buds, his eyes closing shut while he licks the excess of crème by the edge of his lips.

_Eating desserts shouldn't look so sensual—!_

Wonshik knows, the moment his mouth feels dry and he can feel blood pounding on a certain part of his body, he _knows_ , this is affecting him in ways that _really_ shouldn't. And he really needs to stop this before humiliating problems arise. But the way Jaehwan's tongue darts out to lick the spoon has him picturing other things Jaehwan can be licking, like his c— _oh my God, Kim Wonshik, get a grip of yourself!_

"What the hell are you doing?" Jaehwan lets out a chuckle, sounding amused, causing Wonshik to stop slapping himself and belatedly realizes he has been doing that physically instead of mentally like he intends to.

Jaehwan is watching him with his brown eyes wide and twinkling with innocence a boy his age should no longer have, a grin spread across his face as he holds back the amused giggles. Wonshik stares at him and wonders how someone who radiates so much naivete can display such erotic expressions like what he did before.

Sometimes Wonshik questions if Jaehwan is really older than him.

"N-nothing." The younger boy stammers before stuffing a good portion of dessert in his mouth. He avoids his hyung's curious gaze, feeling embarrassed and ashamed of himself. This is _so_ out of focus, he needs to concentrate on how he's going to deliver his feelings for Jaehwan, like seriously.

"Weren't you going to say something before?" Jaehwan asks out of the blue, his brows knitting together as he vaguely recalls what previously happened, all the while pointing the edge of his spoon towards his friend.

Wonshik nearly chokes on the dessert, but manages to survive as he swallows the supposedly soft meal in difficulty. He catches the older boy's curious expression and a mental battle starts going in his head. Should he tell him now? The moment has kinda passed though. But will he get a chance again?

Jaehwan blinks at him, waiting.

 _No_. He's waited a long time for this big moment of revelation. Jaehwan—Jaehwan deserves to have it more... _memorable_.

Wonshik fidgets a bit before he decides to feign innocence. "Ah… Was I? I forgot."

There is a shrug coming from the older boy, a silent agreement to brush it off. He gulps down a big glob of the dessert before licking the spoon clean. "Okay. _I'll_ tell you something then." He says.

Wonshik perks up, his attention centered on his friend. Jaehwan motions for him to lean closer as if he is about to tell a secret. Wonshik's heart begins to race as the gap between them shortens significantly, leaving very small space between their faces. They are _close_ , maybe not close enough to be able to touch lips even if the blonde-haired boy were to try, but close enough for him to see every mark, every scratch and every contour of Jaehwan's face. The lovely shade of brown his eyes are, the luscious plump lips he owns, the soft sounds of his breathing and the way his features supports that mischievous, discreet grin like every other expression his face can perfectly (and often, comically) form.

Wonshik wishes he can stop reciting to himself how perfect Jaehwan is to him and start focusing on reality.

Jaehwan chuckles at the anticipating look on the younger boy's face. A light tinge of pink mars his cheeks as his smile turns into a somewhat infatuated one. "You know the chef from before? He's kinda cute, don't you think?"

Wonshik feels his heart shatter into a million pieces.

*

_"Ehh? What?"_

_"Just one picture. Do you mind?"_

_"...Why?"_

_"Because. I like taking pictures of people."_

_A dimpled smile._

_"...I guess one picture won't hurt."_

One click.

One click is all it took for Sanghyuk to melt, his heart be stolen away, and his mind constantly preoccupied by that one person. It's kinda dumb, to be honest, since Sanghyuk doesn't even know _who_ he is, doesn't even know what his name is, or what he does. It's just this stunningly handsome boy with a dimpled smile who asked for his picture. That's all he knows, and yet it's more than enough to make his days filled with wondering what he is doing, where he is going and to whom is he sending that breathtaking smile.

Sungjae has been both annoying and annoyingly supportive, with his endless teasing and relentless encouragements for Sanghyuk to go the hell out there and seek for this person. He has been, for over a week now, using the last bits of his holiday to see that person, finding that the person always comes to the beach where they had first met, and almost everyday at a designated time. He always has a bag slung over his shoulder, a striped tie atop of his white dress shirt, and sometimes black-framed glasses are perched atop of his nose. Sanghyuk guesses he's probably in his early years of college. He's been watching him all these times, wanting nothing but to approach him and introduce himself, and probably do all sorts of things afterwards, but the specific person always seems to have someone by his side, someone he'll be busily chatting and laughing with, and Sanghyuk's courage just shrinks.

Sanghyuk has pondered on his chances since school began a couple of days ago, but it isn't until today when Sungjae and Jinseok literally kick him out of class that his determination is set.

"Don't you dare come back without hickeys from Mr. Dimples." Jinseok has threatened, earning bright obnoxious laughter from Sungjae who agrees with him. Sanghyuk throws a book at them.

Chuckling at the memory of his idiotic best friends, Sanghyuk checks his watch again. A little over seventy-five minutes has passed. He lets out a resigned sigh, ready to give up on his wait and decides to take one last glance at the streets, holding onto the tiny shred of hope he has in him.

A couple of cars vroom by, an ahjusshi with a load on his back, and several junior high students on bikes heading to their homes. Sanghyuk's school isn't over until another hour and personally he misses his younger days when he still has time to enjoy himself, unlike the present where he spends over a third of his day only for school and assignments.

Sanghyuk scans the whole road within his view, his eyes stopping on a hotel that marks the start of the buildings alongside the road. Disappointed, he gets up on his feet, brushing off the sand that got his shoes a bit dirty and prepared himself for the long walk back home.

But that familiar face comes into sight, and Sanghyuk's heart stops.

*


	3. no matter what kind of days

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the delay!! I hope you enjoy it, still!

Hongbin sighs happily when the smell of seawater meets the nerves in his nasal cavity, the sounds of waves crashing grow louder and louder as his eyes are finally greeted by the beautiful sight of the beach. His heart sinks a bit when his guess comes out true, the beach is so empty that it nearly seems deserted. The fishermen's boats are hooked to the platform, swaying by the small current, all looking a little lonely without their owners taking them on a journey to the sea. Only a couple of bistros stay open, one he recognized as the bistro with a super friendly red-haired guy as the owner.

Hongbin scuttles down the slope as he prepares his camera. He looks around the beach, hoping to find a person, an object to capture with his camera lens, so he can add it to the numerous snapshots he keeps at home. His parents find it a little weird that he goes around asking strangers if he can take their pictures but his friends and lecturers praise him for his great sense and timing in producing a breathtaking picture.

He spots a boy, a high school student judging from his uniform, standing rooted in his place as he looks Hongbin's way. The aspiring photographer narrows his eyes; his eyesight isn't the best since middle school and he cannot see far objects clearly without his glasses, but he's too lazy to put his spectacles on considering it's somewhat buried under his textbooks. He cannot make out the face of the high school boy from this distance, and he unconsciously looks around him, trying to find what has possibly left the high school boy awestruck. He still doesn't figure it out but then simply brushes it off as some personal matters that the boy has and he will never understand.

Adjusting his camera settings, Hongbin makes his way to the boy, already marking him as his potential target for the day. A singing sound suddenly startles him and he identifies it as his call ringtone so Hongbin fetches his phone and sees an unknown number trying to reach him.

"Hello?"

"Yes, hello. This is Sajinjjik photo studio. Hongbin-goon, correct?"

"Yes, yes, correct. Is there a problem with my orders, imonim?"

It turns out to be the photo studio he frequents at. Hongbin has wanted to build his own dark room to print his photos, but his parents forbade, so currently he sticks to going to the shop. The owner recognizes him and acknowledges his talent so Hongbin is always ensured to get the best quality service for his portraits. The imonim assures him there's nothing wrong with his orders and tells him they are done and he can take them this afternoon. Hongbin expresses his gratefulness and replies he'll be sure to visit the shop later.

"Lovely pictures, as always, Hongbin-goon. There was one with my neighbor's daughter in it. You don't mind if I personally double print one of them, do you?" The imonim asks carefully, and Hongbin's dimpled smile naturally appears at the compliment given to him. He never minds sharing his pictures and to think someone would request for the result of his shots makes him feel proud of himself.

"Not at all, imonim." He responds to the receiver. "I'm glad you like my pictures."

A warm chuckle resonated from the phone and the imonim bids farewell with a second reminder about his finished orders. Hongbin promises he'll get them this afternoon, and with another 'thank you', their phone call ends.

Hongbin's mood has been lifted up a lot from that one call. He can't wait to see the printed results of his photos and he can't wait to hang them up his wall like all the other photos in his room.

His camera is set and he's ready to snap pictures when he notices the high school boy is no longer where he was. He takes a look around but only sees the open diners and empty boats parked by the shore.

Hongbin frowns.

"Where did he go...?"

*

Hakyeon has been watching his two customers intently, his fingers impatiently tapping against the counter, just waiting for the moment Wonshik will find the guts to profess his deepest feelings. It's frustrating for Hakyeon to just sit back and watch since Wonshik's face just spells ' _totally, madly, deeply in love_ ' but Jaehwan doesn't seem to catch whatever hints the younger boy has been sending him.

And this is coming from Hakyeon who has known them for barely two hours.

After Taekwoon's senseless interruption—as Hakyeon calls it—there seems to be a vast decrease of mood in Wonshik, and Hakyeon is seriously tempted to come to him and yell at him for being so easily demotivated. He had thought he witnessed some positive development when Jaehwan motioned for Wonshik to lean closer to him (he may or may not have internally squealed from thinking they might kiss) but when Wonshik's face falls and his expression hardens, he realizes that what was happening may not be as he thinks. And he wishes he can interfere and tell them how compatible they are but Hakyeon really is not in the position to do that.

"Jung Taekwoon, this is all your fault." Hakyeon grumbles under his breath. In some way he had been imagining how cute it would be if Wonshik and Jaehwan actually got together in the diner, and years later they would visit and remember it as the place where they had begun their relationship. Then Hakyeon can brag to them how it's the magic of his diner that helped blossom their love. Isn't that just _romantic_?

An incredulous scoff is caught by his ears, and Hakyeon instantly glares at the only possible offender, his friend-slash-employee trying to act innocent while wiping glasses. Taekwoon has refused to talk or look at Hakyeon ever since he felt his grand apology is taken for granted, but Hakyeon doesn't want to do anything with him either, still angry at Taekwoon for ruining the perfect scenario of romance in his head.

Jaehwan's cheerful laughter brings him back to reality and Hakyeon's customer-welcoming smile just automatically appears. His two guests are making their way towards him and the co-owner straightens his back, ready to greet his customers brightly.

(But well, Jaehwan's smile is so contagious that he thinks he doesn't even need to fake being 'bright' like how he usually does.)

"Up for more delights?" Hakyeon asks. Jaehwan looks as cheery as ever, but Wonshik is still particularly sullen, and if Hakyeon isn't observant, he might've missed the death glares the blonde boy is sending Taekwoon

Jaehwan shakes his head. "Nah, maybe next time Hyung. My tummy's really full now, thanks to you." He grins, and Hakyeon flips his bangs proudly, pleased. Wonshik is still glaring at Taekwoon, and although Hakyeon is in a position to understand how he might feel, he honestly thinks Taekwoon doesn't deserve _that_ much hatred. Taekwoon, however, remains blissfully unaware (or ignorant, Hakyeon can't quite tell).

The co-owner decides to focus on the lively customer before him. "Thank you, I'm so glad to hear that!" He replies. "But—aww, leaving so soon?" He intertwines his hands with Jaehwan's as he puts on a playful frown, honestly wanting to spend more time to get to know him better (also to give Wonshik more time so his confession can happen at the diner).

The customer gives him an apologetic look. "Yea, sorry... I promise I'll visit again in the future!" Jaehwan exclaims, squeezing his newfound friend's hand. Hakyeon puts out his pinky.

"Promise?"

Jaehwan gladly links their pinkies together. "Promise."

Hakyeon smiles, satisfied. "Okay. Here's the bill. Minus the crème brulee, of course." He hands out a small piece of paper with his writings on it, the sum written neatly at the bottom right corner. "Is Wonshik-sshi paying or… are you?" There is a temporary pause that is definitely done intentionally, because Hakyeon wants to give a chance to the younger of the couple to at least be a little more gentlemanly and less sulky, considering that he kinda has to impress his rather oblivious crush.

Jaehwan starts rummaging his small pouch. "Oh, right, lemme—"

 _"I'll_ pay." Wonshik insists as he takes out a couple sheets of ten thousand won's and places them on the table, before sending a small, kinda forced smile to the worker. Jaehwan looks a bit unwilling, but gives in instead when Hakyeon accepts the payment and goes calculating for the change. The diner co-owner tries to hold back the triumphant grin from appearing on his face upon knowing his little plan sorta worked.

Hakyeon gets the exact amount of change, before glancing at Jaehwan who looks temporarily distracted by the other choices of food in their menu book, then back at Wonshik who's avoiding his gaze and drumming impatiently against the counter. Taekwoon saunters past them to place the glasses on the shelves and Hakyeon certainly did not miss the sneer that Wonshik makes, clearly directed at his only employee at the moment. _Yep_ , he has something against him, no doubt.

Even so, Hakyeon smiles genuinely as he hands the change. "Here." He says. Wonshik accepts it and is about to take it but Hakyeon won't let go. The customer eyes him, confused. Hakyeon simply beams.

"Good luck."

The blonde boy blinks at him for a couple of times, puzzled, but soon gets it when Hakyeon motions subtly towards Jaehwan. Wonshik visibly blushes and he coughs out a 'thanks', feeling embarrassed.

"Let's go, Hyung." Wonshik mumbles to his partner, gaining back his attention. Jaehwan nods and he turns to the counter where Hakyeon and Taekwoon have stood, the former watching him while the waiter/cook still busy wiping bowls.

"See you, Hakyeon-hyung!" Jaehwan waves at him, in which Hakyeon waves back. The brunette pauses for a while, before sending a wink Taekwoon's way. "You too, Mr. Chef!"

Hakyeon's eyes widen, surprise written all over his face as he watches his two customers make their way out of his diner. The redhead turns to his friend who apparently has missed the blatant flirting aimed at him, the boy carrying on in cleaning dining utensils quietly. Hakyeon crosses his arms in front of his chest as he stares at Taekwoon in disbelief.

The younger boy feels the eyes on him. "What?" He snaps.

The other snickers and lightly neck-chops him. "You just _love_ ruining other people's summer flings, don't you, Jung Taekwoon."

Hakyeon dodges the cloth thrown at him, laughing.

*

Sanghyuk stumbles right into a particularly wet patch of sand. He can feel the seawater slowly dampening his school uniform, and by the familiar laughter entering his ears, he wouldn't need to think to figure out who the culprits responsible are.

"What the fuck," Sanghyuk curses as he cranes his neck to glare at his two classmates slash best mates. Jinseok is still dragging him by his backpack, a guiltless grin etched on his face, while Sungjae is just having fun seeing him like that. Sanghyuk retaliates by throwing sand at them.

Sungjae shrieks. "My eyes!! My eyesss!" He rubs his eyes repetitively, hoping to get rid of the tiny sand substances from his sight. Jinseok has luckily avoided Sanghyuk's attack, and the two boys decides to give a helping hand to their struggling friend by shoving him face first into the sea, after thoughtfully throwing the boy's bag to the drier side of the beach.

"Fuck you, I hate you two." Sungjae says after he emerges from the seawater, his hair and uniform all drenched. Sanghyuk and Jinseok share a good amount of laughter together as they watched the soaked boy take off his jacket and make his way to them, swishing his sopping wet jacket towards his two friends to get them the least bit wet. Jinseok isn't out of luck as he manages to run away, but Sanghyuk isn't as much since Sungjae tackles him and pins him down with his weight before wringing the salty water off his jacket and making it pour all over his friend. Sanghyuk thrashes around and pushes him off, annoyed but laughing brightly nonetheless.

"You bastard." Sanghyuk gives him the finger as he shakes his head to dry it up a little. Jinseok is still cracking up at them while Sungjae merely scowls and squeezes a part of his shirt, water dripping with every twist. Sanghyuk checks his watch and finds that his two friends are supposed to be at school for another forty-five minutes. "It's not 3 yet, you guys skipped?"

Jinseok whistles happily. "School got cut short since the teachers had some boring-ass meeting to do." He replies, grinning. "Not that we mind, we got to get off early~ Hell yeah!" He fistpumps in the air, ecstatic.

"So we decided to be the super nice best friends we are and check on our lovesick buddy here," Sungjae continues. "who seems to be out of luck today, considering the lack of hickeys I see." He peeks into Sanghyuk's shirt, unaware of how his friend's eyes suddenly widen.

"Oh crap!" Sanghyuk swats his friend's hand away and immediately scans around, hoping to see the familiar brunette once more. "He was here. He just arrived and…" The boy sighs hopelessly when the disappointment he's been feeling since an hour ago sinking back in. "Oh man. I'm gonna miss my chance again, thanks to you two." He sends a disgruntled look at his two friends, feeling a little annoyed.

Jinseok scoffs, incredulous. "Oh, so it's _our_ fault now? After everything we did to make you come to this freaking beach today?"

"Well, he certainly isn't going to come _at_ the beach today." Sungjae mumbled, intentionally loud so his best friends can hear him. (Personally, he doesn't like the unnecessarily growing tension between the other two and he secretly hopes his stupid joke will lighten things up a little.)

(It works.)

Jinseok stifles his laughter behind his hands while Sanghyuk bites his lips to restrain himself from cracking up as he shakes his head at the eldest.

"Shut the hell up." Sanghyuk says as he attempts to smack Sungjae, but the latter skillfully dodged. He resorts to kicking him instead and succeeds into landing one to his thigh. Sungjae cries in pain. "Sometimes I wonder why I'm friends with you dickheads."

"Because we're _awesome_ and you know that." Sungjae retorts as he rubs his pained thigh, a cheeky grin present on his features. Jinseok's smile has returned and he nods approvingly at the boy's statement.

Sanghyuk lets out a sigh, but he can't help the playful grin that naturally appears whenever he's with the two. "Why the heck are you guys here? Other than to rub the misery in my face?" He asks.

Jinseok gasps dramatically and puts an hand on his chest, feigning hurt. "Insulting!" He mutters, causing Sungjae to cackle at the drama-like tone he used (internally, Sungjae is glad the mood has turned lighthearted once more). Jinseok ignores Sanghyuk's eyeroll at him and continues, telling him their actually—for once—good intention. "We just wanted to see your progress. And make sure you won't chicken out again."

Sanghyuk refutes, offended. "I didn't chicken o—"

"Sure, sure, keep telling yourself that." Sungjae says sarcastically as he waves him off in an equally sarcastic manner. Sanghyuk wants to defend himself because no, he did not chicken out, and the two dickheads do not know how it is to be in his position. He is about to smack his annoying friend once more when Jinseok suddenly perks up as he spots someone.

"Hey, is that, by any chance, your handsome Mr. Dimples boy?"

Sanghyuk whips his head around and fortunately finds the one Jinseok is pointing at. Yep, it's him, the boy who fills Sanghyuk's mind day and night, now currently facing the sea as he takes a few snapshots of the scenery with his camera.

"Oh thank God." Sanghyuk sighs in relief. His lips instinctively curve into a lovesick smile, captivated by the boy's glowing beauty, even from the distance. "Yeah... that's him." He answers, completely enraptured.

"Man, you score." Sungjae comments after he takes a good look of Sanghyuk's crush. "He _is_ gorgeous. No wonder you're so infatuated." He gazes back at his friend and sees the glimmering adoration in his eyes. Sungjae smirks to himself. Sanghyuk has fallen and fallen hard.

Jinseok coughs, attempting to get the entranced boy's attention back. "Okay, well. We'll be going." He announces and gives Sanghyuk a couple of pats on his shoulder, then playfully adding, "Before you miss out on your chance to get your late summer fling." Sungjae snorts but gives Jinseok a high-five as they both slowly walk away from their love-struck friend, their bags both loosely hung on one shoulder.

Sanghyuk snaps back to reality and looks at his friends. "Where are you guys going?"

The two boys pause in their steps. "Arcade." Sungjae answers as the excitement and strong determination begins to show on his face. "There's a new game that got installed. Gonna mark my name as the highest score on the first day!" He lifts his fist, confident that he'll indeed gain the top scorer title.

Sanghyuk smirks. "Thirsty for fame, I see. No wonder you're so pathetic."

"Not as pathetic as you if you don't tap pretty boy's ass soon." Sungjae counters, earning another kick from his friend, but he knows he deserves that one.

"Fuck off." Sanghyuk cries out lightheartedly as he pushes his two friends, sending them off.

"Wait, Hyuk-ah." Jinseok digs in his backpack and pulls out a folded umbrella, giving it to the said boy. "Here. Weather forecast said it might rain today." He explains as he zips his bag again. Sanghyuk seems a little confused, but he still gives Jinseok a thankful look. The youngest of the three smiles. "And it could help get you a chance if Mr. Dimples didn't bring an umbrella." He nudges Sanghyuk, knowing he'll get the hint.

"Oooh. Rainy date~" Sungjae teases as he wiggles his eyebrows suggestively. "Gonna _wet_ each other, huh?"

Sanghyuk snickers at him. "Says the one who's already wet from head to toe. You're gonna get laughed at the arcade, Sungjae-ah."

"I have spare clothes, you go worry about yourself." Sungjae bites back before throwing his drenched jacket over his shoulder. "Kay, we're going. Gonna let you chase after that prince charming of yours." He waves, bidding farewell, and Sanghyuk waves back as he watches his two friends walk back to the main road.

They aren't that far away yet but Jinseok turns around to yell. "Don't forget to tell us the details later, Hyuk-ah! EVERY. LITTLE. THING!"

"JUST GO!!!"

His two friends go laughing like idiots as they scurry away. Sanghyuk still questions why he's friends with those two, but honestly, if it isn't for them, he wouldn't be here today either. Sanghyuk turns around and thankfully catches sight of that person once more. The person is looking at his camera, probably checking the results of his shots. Sanghyuk smiles, before glancing at the sky that seems to be getting cloudier than he thought. Clutching the umbrella, Sanghyuk prepares himself for the most important moment of his life so far.

(Making the first move to approach who might just be his fated partner.)

*


End file.
